Killer Instinct
by AeroQC
Summary: A killer is on the loose in Zootopia and ZPD's finest is on the case. But will Nick and Judy solve who's behind it before it's too late? A Halloween Special. Rated M for suggestive matter, violence, etc.
1. Part 1

**Part 1**

Mary woke up to nothing but darkness. Instinctively, she tried to get up, but found herself bound down on the hard surface she was lying on. With her arms outstretched and secured, her breathing was hard and made harder still by the anxiety of her situation. Unable to see and unable to move, the ewe was terrified of what was happening and cried out for help.  
For a moment her pleas were met with silence, until the sound of metal scraping against metal silenced her. The sound grew louder as it approached her, finally stopping at her side. As the scraping continued, a voice accompanied it:

 _Mary was a little lamb  
Her fleece as white as snow…  
And everywhere that Mary went  
The wolf was sure to go…  
He followed her to work one day  
He only wanted to laugh and play…  
She shot him down and to him she said:  
"Why don't you just go play… Dead."  
_  
As the voice finished, a loud 'thunk' was heard before Mary screamed at the top of her lungs.

…

Judy wasn't quite sure how to feel about today.  
After years of working on the force, she and her partner finally made the promotion to Detectives. Gone were the days of routine patrols and the dreaded 'Parking Duty' which she loathed since day one. From here on out, the fox and the bunny were to be assigned only the most serious of cases. And their first assignment was no exception.  
The duo was in a smallish apartment that was being rented out to Dolly Woolens and her roommate. They were questioning the sheep on her involvement in their case, and she was more than a little troubled with her predicament. Judy could understand why; it's not every day that you find the head of your roommate in a cardboard box on your doorstep.  
The victim was identified as Mary Lambsleigh and was found the day before by the shaking ewe in front of them.

"Miss Woolens-"  
"Please… Just Dolly," The sheep meekly said as she cut Judy short.  
"Dolly, we need you to tell us everything you know that could help us," Judy asked in as soft a manner as she could. "When was the last time you saw Mary?"  
The sheep held herself in her arms, rocking back and forth as she tried to come to terms with her situation.  
"The day before," Dolly managed to say. "Mary was going to work. She didn't come back that night. I thought she was at a friend's place and forgot to tell me. She did that a lot."  
Judy jotted down her notes as Nick just observed from where he stood, leaning against the wall.  
"Was Mary acting strange in any way before that?" The bunny continued.  
"No. Everything was normal, from what I could tell."  
"Was she seeing anyone?"  
"She never said, but she shared everything. So I don't think she was."  
"Okay. Would you mind sharing where Mary was working?"  
"She was a waitress at the diner down the block. Nomnivores."  
Judy finished up her notes, concluding that was all she could get that would be useful.  
"Thanks Dolly," the bunny announced as she got up from her seat. "It means a lot for you to share this. And don't worry, we'll find out who did this."

"So we're going out to eat?" Nick asked as they left the building, knowing full well what the answer was.  
"She did say it was just down the block," Judy smirked at her partner.  
Nick was taking the whole Detective promotion in stride; he had even bought a trench coat to mark the occasion, which he was wearing right now. The bunny felt a little embarrassed that he was wearing such a dated fashion piece when she was wearing a more modest suit as her working clothes. And despite her objections for Nick to reconsider, the fox wore the coat all the same, and she hated the fact that it looked good on him.

"Um, boss? We've got two officers that want to talk to you," a bat announced as she peeked through the doorway.  
"Oh? Well send them in Betty," the boar answered as he made himself comfortable at his desk.  
Harry Borrison wasn't expecting any visits that day, much less from members of the ZPD. He hoped that none of his employees had done something drastic without his knowledge. His surprise grew as he saw the two visitors walk in; a bunny dressed in a sharp navy suit, and a fox dressed in a dark brown trench coat.  
"Detectives Judy and Nick Wilde, sir," the bunny greeted as she hopped onto a chair facing his desk and reach out for a pawshake.  
"Harry Borrins," he greeted in kind as he shook her paw. "What can I do for you?"  
"We'd like to ask you a few questions about one of your employees," Nick asked as he leaned against the door-frame. "Mary Lambsleigh, to be exact."  
"Mary?" The boar repeated as he recognized the name. "Is she in trouble?"  
"'Was in trouble' would be a better way to put it," Judy admitted. "Unfortunately, Mary has been the victim of a murder. And we have a reason to believe that it occurred sometime after she left her apartment two days ago and before yesterday evening. Was Mary working at all during that time?"  
Harry dropped down in his chair at the news. Mary was one of his best waitresses, and a favourite amongst the customers for her smile. It was hard for him to believe that she was the victim of a murder.  
"Uh, yes… She was working the day before," He finally managed to say. "But she had a day off yesterday and today, so I didn't think much about it."  
Judy nodded in understanding as she made a few notes.  
"I've noticed that you have a few cameras in the dining area," Nick pointed out. "Are they just for show, or do you have them recording?"  
"They're recording," Harry replied. "Did you want to look at the tapes?"  
"I thought you'd never asked," the fox grinned as he followed the boar to the back of the office, Judy in tow.

"I hope you'll find what you're looking for, officers," Harry said as he left the two.  
The boar had led them into a side-room with some old-fashioned recording equipment and a few monitors that showed the dining area up front. Judy and Nick scoured the shelves for the presumed last day that Mary had worked. It didn't take long for them to find the appropriate tapes and play them.  
Mary wasn't hard to find on the footage; despite the low-quality image, she was the only sheep waitress on staff. Nothing much happened as they fast-forwarded through the day, following the ewe's movements, until they found what looked to be a fight between her and a customer. There was no sound on the footage, but Mary looked to have taken offense to what the customer had said and spat something back. The customer grabbed at her arm, but she pulled back and slapped him with her hoof. The customer left with everyone in the diner seemingly shooing him out by throwing napkins and bread rolls at them.  
"Possible lead, Carrots?" Nick asked, knowing again her answer.  
"Yep, and a few more questions for Mr. Borrins," Judy replied as she took the tape with them as they left the room.

…

 _Eeny, meeny, miny, moe…  
Catch a tiger by the toe…_

* * *

 **AN: I hope I haven't scared anyone off yet, because we're just getting started...  
**


	2. Part 2

**Part 2**

It was dark. That's all Walter could tell about where he was, apart from the heavy smell of bleach that assaulted his nose when he woke up. The tiger would've gotten up, had he not been held down by ropes on his arms and legs. After struggling for a moment to try and loosen his bonds, he gave up, exhausted and out of breath. What also didn't help was the gag in his mouth, restricting his breathing.  
Then somewhere in the darkness, the sound of scraping metal reached his ears. For a long while, that's all he heard, scrape after scrape. It put his fur on end and had him sweating; unsure what to expect. Then it stopped. The tiger felt cold claws dance over his toes, sending chills up his spine, before a voice echoed in the darkness:

 _Eeny, meeny, miny, moe...  
Catch a tiger by the toe...  
If he hollers, let him go...  
_

Walter tried crying out, struggling against the rope in desperation. But the voice kept going:

 _Eeny...  
Meeny...  
Miny...  
Moe._

A resounding 'thunk' was heard and Walter's muffled scream was almost immediately snuffed as well.

...

Judy's phone buzzed on her nightstand, causing a paw to chase the vibrating device from under some covers.  
"Wilde here," she answered, still half asleep.  
"Judy? This is Connie," a voice said on the other end.  
"Connie?" The bunny repeated, still half-asleep.  
"Yeah, I work in the morgue, remember? You wanted me to call you if I ever found any leads or anything interesting?"  
"Right, sorry,"Judy apologized. "Connie, what time is it?"  
"Four-thirty in the morning, why?" The voice innocently asked.  
"Can't it wait until we punch in later?"  
"I wouldn't have called you if it wasn't important."  
"Fine," the bunny huffed as she sat up. "What is it?"  
"We've got another one."  
In that instant, Judy was wide awake and in full overdrive.  
"We'll be there in an hour."

Judy leaned over to shake her partner awake.  
"Nick! Get up! We've got work."  
The fox snorted and mumbled, but didn't wake. Ever the impatient one, Judy pushed him off the bed with her feet, causing Nick to fall with loud thud. The fox groaned in pain as he pulled himself back onto the bed.  
"Dammit, Carrots. What is wrong with-"  
"Connie called, said we've got another one," the bunny cut in as she hopped off the bed.  
"It's still only four-thirty," Nick grumbled as he saw the clock.  
"I told her we'd be there in an hour."  
"Then you won't mind if I sleep a for bit longer," he said as he brought the covers back over him.  
"Okay," Judy agreed while she made for the bathroom. "I'll be having a shower in the meantime."  
"I'm up!"  
No sooner was the fox out of bed, he was stopped by Judy.  
"Ah-ah," she said while blocking the doorway. "Get the coffee going first, then you can join me."  
"Sly bunny," Nick grinned.  
"Dirty fox," Judy coyly replied as she slipped past the door.

"Oh good, you guys finally showed up," Connie greeted the duo as they entered the morgue. "What took you so long? Judy said you'd only be an hour."  
Judy's ears flushed a little as Nick searched for an excuse.  
"Early morning traffic," he lied. "You know how the nocturnals are rushing home at this hour, right?"  
The meerkat didn't buy it, but she didn't push.  
"Whatever. Come and take a look."  
Connie led the detectives to the slab where two head disembodied head sat.  
"You've already met Miss Lambsleigh, but not three hours ago Mr. Stripes here was found by officer McHorn in the Canal District."  
"Does Mr. Stripes have a name?" Judy asked.  
The meerkat gave her a stern look.  
"I don't mock the dead, Judy. His name is Walter Stripes. I had Forensics run an ID while I was waiting."  
Nick snickered as his partner winced at her faux-pas.  
"Now as you may have noticed, our guests here both share a few traits," Connie continued.  
"Apart from the whole 'beheaded' thing?" Nick prodded.  
"Yes. I found a small note in Mr. Stripes' mouth; it's in the evidence tray over there," she added while gesturing to a metal bin. "So on a hunch, I went digging in Miss Lambsleigh's mouth and found another note. Hard to believe that I missed it on my first survey."  
Nick went on to analyze the notes as the meerkat kept talking.  
"Also, take a whiff of each of them, Judy," Connie suggested.  
The bunny looked at her in disbelief.  
"You're serious?"  
"Just do as the doctor says, Carrots," her partner voiced from across the slab.  
Feeling glad that she skipped out on an early breakfast, Judy sniffed at the wool of Mary Lambsleigh's head. The metallic stench of dried blood assaulted her nostrils along with the lingering smell of decay. Wanting to end the torture quickly, she moved over to Walter Stripes and took in a deep breath. She immediately moved away to cough as her nostrils burned.  
"Sweet cheese and crackers! What is that?!"  
"Bleach," Connie simply answered. "If Mr. Stripes here was murdered by the same mammal as Miss Lambsleigh, then we have to assume that they're learning from their mistakes."  
"Well that's good to know, Connie," Nick responded as he pocketed the notes. "We'll look into Mr. Stripes' unfortunate accident as another facet of our case. Is McHorn still on duty?"  
"I think he left right after calling Mr. Stripes in."  
"Okay, thanks again," the fox replied as he led Judy out of the morgue.

"You gonna be okay, Carrots?" Nick asked his partner as she held her still burning nose.  
"I think so," Judy replied as she tried sniffing in the office air, wincing as she did so. "This is SO not my day."  
"Well hopefully this will cheer you up," the fox stated as he noticed a new folder on her desk. "Looks like our guys in IT got an ID on our harasser."  
Judy opened the folder and made a quick perusal of the contents. Their suspect was a bobcat by the name of Robert Catmull.

…

 _Horsey, horsey, don't you stop…  
Just let your feet go clippety-clop…_

* * *

 **AN: Seems like they've rubbed off on each other after all these years.  
**


	3. Part 3

**Part 3**

Horace never liked to stay still, that's why he enjoyed his runs in the park. But his last run, he didn't like it at all. He had the feeling that someone was chasing him, so he ran faster. But the feeling had stayed with him until he ran out of breath and had to stop. A chill had gone down his spine as he felt someone's breath at his neck before an odd smell filled his nose.  
The stallion was now strapped down and blind with his mouth gagged; he was beyond the point of unease. Horace was hyperventilating, unable to cope with how still he was forced to be. And his unease only seemed to increase as the sound of metal against metal scraped into existence. After a moment of hellish tension, the sound stopped, only to be replaced by the bone-chilling breathing he had felt before:

 _Horsey, horsey, don't you stop…  
Just let your feet go clippety-clop…  
Your tail goes swish as you run around…  
Giddy up, we're homeward bound…_

 _We're not in a rush, no need to be flush…  
You didn't have to run…  
We're all good friends, it didn't have to end…  
I just wanted to have… Fun. _

A solid 'thunk' made its existence, followed up by another. Horace never had the chance to scream, even if he wanted to.

…

"Robert Catmull. Age: twenty-seven. Species: Bobcat. Works as a bartender at the Pink Panther Cabaret Club," Judy read the file aloud to Nick as they stood in the observation booth.  
On the other side of the glass sat the mammal in question, patiently waiting for the interrogation to start. He looked innocent enough, having complied to come down to the precinct without any disturbance, but Nick and Judy weren't going to be swayed by outward appearances.  
"Let's see if our friend here can tell us anything new," the fox said as he made to go out.  
His phone buzzed before he opened the door. Fishing it out of his pocket, Nick read the short message and gave a quick sigh.  
"Sorry about this Carrots, but I'll have to leave him to you," he apologized. "McHorn just got back to me on our newest victim; it looks like I'll have to check the jam-cams in the Canal District to see where Mr. Stripes was dropped off."  
"It's okay, Nick," Judy replied as she opened the door out of the booth. "You can take the chance to look up his last known sighting as well."  
"Always the optimist," Nick grinned as he stepped into the hall. "Love you."  
Judy smiled back and made for the interrogation room.

"So Mr. Catmull, can you tell me anything about Mary Lambsleigh?"  
"She's my friend," the bobcat answered. "Why? Did something happen to her?"  
"Your friend?" Judy asked with a raised eyebrow, avoiding his question. "Do friends harass each other?"  
"W-what?"  
"We have recorded evidence that you were harassing Miss Lambsleigh during her shift at Nomnivores the other day, do you have anything to say about that?"  
The bobcat shifted in his seat, clearly uncomfortable about the subject.  
"I-I just wanted to ask her out."  
"And she shot you down," the bunny guessed.  
"Yes! I asked her why and she told me I was too clingy. I'm not clingy! Do you think I'm clingy, Officer?"  
"Honestly? I can't answer that, Mr. Catmull, because I don't know you enough."  
"So you don't find me clingy?" The bobcat asked in relief.  
"For the moment, no," Judy replied. "Did you try convincing her otherwise? The tape shows you two having a fight before it escalated."  
Catmull shrunk in his seat at the mention of it.  
"I tried convincing her… But she wouldn't listen… And she…" He held back a few tears as he said it. "She hit me…"  
"I know…" The bunny added, feeling sorry for him. "Is there anyone who might have wanted to hurt her, Mr. Catmull?"  
"Huh?" He looked at Judy with confusion.  
"I'm sorry to tell you, but… Mary was the victim of a murder."  
The bobcat's eyes welled with tears at the revelation. He cried out onto the table, seeking refuge in his arms. Judy set foot on the table and stroked the fur on his head, hoping it would calm him down.  
"Mr. Catmull, anything that you might know would be extremely helpful," she calmly stated once he was over the bulk of his tears.  
"I don't know anything, though…"  
"Did she leave her job that night with anyone?"  
"I don't know… I ran out of the diner… But I can't remember much after that…"  
"Okay… Would you like some time to get over this?" Judy offered. "Maybe come back tomorrow after you've thought it over?"  
Catmull sniffed back the last of his tears and gave a nod.  
"Okay, thanks for your time Mr. Catmull," Judy said as she led him out of the room.

"So? Did you get anything out of him?" Nick asked as he approached his partner's desk.  
"Not much, actually," Judy admitted. "He was trying to ask Mary out for a date. Unfortunately for him, she didn't like the idea."  
"Ouch, too bad he can't get another shot either," the fox commented. "Did you tell him about it?"  
"Yeah…"  
"And?"  
"He bawled his eyes out," the bunny revealed unenthusiastically, to which he laughed.  
"That's not funny, Nick!" She scowled, shutting him up.  
"I'm sorry," he genuinely apologized with wide eyes.  
As Judy looked at him in his innocent state, there was no way that she could stay mad. She could, however, take advantage of the situation.  
"'Sorry' isn't going to cut it this time," she pushed. "How would you feel if I was on the receiving end of one of these murders?"  
Shock filled the fox's face.  
"That's what I thought. So no more laughing at other mammals' heartbreaks, got it?"  
"Yes Dear," Nick replied in defeat as he stared at his feet.  
"As a proper apology, I expect you to present me with a carrot muffin every day for the next month," the bunny announced with finality.  
He looked up at her in disbelief before shifting his expression to his trademark grin.  
"Sly bunny."  
"Dumb fox," she said as she leaned off her desk to peck him on the cheek. "Now do you have any news on Mr. Stripes?"  
"Yes actually," Nick admitted as he pulled a folder from under his arm. "And you might find a few things that are quite interesting."  
Just as Judy was about to open up the file, her phone buzzed.  
"Wilde here," she answered.  
"It's Connie. You guys should get down here."

…

 _Up and down the alleys and streets…  
The wolf, he chased the weasel…_

* * *

 **AN: Judy Wilde, all the more a hustler.**


	4. Part 4

**Part 4**

Nigel figured that he lost him, or whoever it was that had been chasing him. He had spent the better part of an hour ducking and jumping down alleys and side-streets; now he was just exhausted. As he leaned against the building wall, catching his breath, a paw snuck up on him and brought darkness down on the small mammal.  
The weasel woke up to nothing but the mixed smell of bleach and blood. Strapped down on a cold and wet surface, he tried wriggling himself free to no avail. He paid no attention to the scrape of metal as he tried to slip out of his bonds. Eventually, the small mammal slowed down from exhaustion; his gag preventing him from recovering quickly. His captor took the chance to make his presence known:

 _Up and down the alleys and streets…  
The wolf, he chased the weasel…  
The wolf just wanted to have some fun…  
But off goes the weasel…_

 _Through the cold and star-less night…  
The wolf still chased the weasel…  
He took him home to have some good fun…  
Now…  
Pop…  
Goes…  
The Weasel…_

A 'thunk' echoed in the darkness. Nigel never moved again.

…

"Oh sweet cheese and crackers," Judy gasped as she entered the morgue with her partner.  
On the slab, next to the heads of Mary and Walter, stood two more; a horse and a weasel.  
"This is just perfect," Nick annoyingly commented into his paw. "If the chief gets wind of this, OUR heads will be on that slab."  
"I don't think it'll come to that," Connie replied.  
"We've got four heads! In three days!" The fox exclaimed. "And if my math is correct, then I wouldn't be surprised to see three more tomorrow!"  
"Nick, calm down," Judy tried. "The more time we spend complaining, the more time our murderer has a chance to call that guess."  
He sighed, slowing his breathing to gather his thoughts.  
"Sorry, Carrots," he replied. "This is just getting a bit hectic."  
"Well, if you two are all over your initial shock, I've got some more messages from our guests," the meerkat said as she brought them a pair of notes in baggies. "I'll be sure to inform you on their identities as soon as I can."  
"Thanks Connie, we'll leave you to it," the bunny answered as she made her way with Nick.

 _She broke his heart.  
He drank too much.  
He gave quite the chase.  
He was a slippery one._

Judy stared down at the four notes on her desk. There was no denying it, they were all written by the same animal, but the last two were in a completely different tone. While the first two seemed to refer to something bad the victim had done, the remaining ones seemed to be notes of pleasure, almost like the killer enjoyed it. Judy shook the thought out of her head; how could anyone enjoy murder?  
The bunny poured her attention over the first note. It was obviously referring to Mary's fight with Robert, but how did that tie in to anything? She would definitely be asking Catmull some questions when he came back.  
Stumped, she shifted her attention to the tiger's note while pulling out the file that Nick had left her:  
 _Walter Stripes.  
Age: 42.  
Species: Tiger.  
Employment: Tax consultant.  
_The rest of the file consisted of sparse photos of the mammal in question, including when his head was found by Officer McHorn. As Judy flipped through the snapshots, she stopped at a very alarming piece of evidence. Walter's last known sighting showed the tiger exiting a bar.

The two detectives stood across the street from the building, Nick being overly critical about the signage.  
"… I mean, who in their right minds think that THAT is a good idea?"  
He was gesturing at a tuxedo-clad neon cat with accompanying top hat and cane, the de facto mascot for The Pink Panther Cabaret Club.  
"I don't think anyone cares, Nick," Judy replied as she made for the club.  
There weren't that many customers for the time of the day, but that didn't stop the entertainment from playing in background; on stage was a quiet jazz band playing for the few tables that were occupied. A lone bartender was cleaning some glasses, their back turned to the customers.  
"Excuse us, but we'd like to speak with the manager," Nick asked as the duo arrived at the bar.  
"Sure, I'll go and get her for-Oh!"  
The bartender on shift was none other than Robert Catmull.  
"Detective Wilde, what can I do for you?" He greeted Judy, ignoring the fox entirely.  
"You can start by getting the manager," she replied. "Like my partner asked."  
"Oh. Right. Sorry," he quickly apologized as he slipped off to the back.  
"I almost forgot that he worked here," the fox admitted.  
"Same. Do you think he was working that night?"  
"Chances are he did," Nick answered. "Why? Do you think he has something to do with this?"  
"Maybe… But it doesn't add up with the other two," the bunny voiced with a furrow in her brow.  
As if out of nowhere, a neatly dressed timber wolf made her way to the bar where they were.  
"I'm so sorry for making you wait," she apologized. "Was there anything I could help you with, Officers?"

Tiffany Wolfen was a self-proclaimed gracious host, and she always tried to live up to the title. So when she heard that a couple of ZPD's finest were just outside, she couldn't resist the thrill of wanting to please them. She led the two to a secluded booth in the corner of the club and asked the waiter to bring them some drinks.  
"So, you wanted some answers?" The wolfess asked coyly.  
"Yes, we were wondering if you knew anything about a particular costumer of yours," Judy prodded.  
"Straight to the difficult ones, I see," she commented. "Well, that depends on who you might be referring to."  
"Walter Stripes," the bunny announced as she pulled out his photos. "He was last seen exiting this club a couple of days ago."  
"And?"  
"He was found murdered, later that night," Nick added.  
"Ah. How unfortunate," Wolfen replied with no change in her expression.  
"He had a note in his mouth," Judy pressed. "Saying that he drank too much."  
"Really now," the wolfess voiced with surprise as she studied the photos more intently. "Ah. I remember him now. Such a gentlemammal; always offered me a drink whenever he saw me. I always declined though, had to set an example for the rest of the staff."  
She sighed.  
"It's sad that he's gone. Kind of makes me regret not taking one of his offers."  
"Miss Wolfen-"  
"Please, Tiffany's fine."  
"Miss Wolfen," Judy continued. "Was Mr. Stripes acting strangely at all that night?"  
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Officers, but I wasn't working that night," the wolfess admitted. "I had a prior engagement that needed tending to."  
"Such as?" Nick prodded.  
"I was hosting a dinner-party," she proudly stated. "And my guests were all happily amused by the food and entertainment."  
Nick looked over at his partner with a sly look, which Judy matched.  
"Would it be too much to ask for the guest list of that particular dinner-party, Miss Wolfen?" The bunny asked.

…

 _This little piggy went to market…  
While this little wolfy followed close…_

* * *

 **AN: What a nice hostess.**


	5. Part 5

**Part 5**

May wasn't quite sure what was happening. It was dark, it smelled awful, she couldn't move, and she could hardly breathe. She wasn't sure how she got like this, but she didn't like it one bit.  
She remembered picking outfits at the thrift shop; she wanted to look nice for her blind date, and wasn't all that comfortable with what she already had. The pig had wandered the aisles, taking dresses, blouses, coats, and scarves. She had a mountain of clothing by the time she went to try them out, but she never got a chance to. She remembered smelling something awful in the changing room before passing out.  
Now afraid for what was going on, May couldn't help but cry. In the darkness, she heard metal scraping against metal. And accompanying the chilling sound was a voice that made her too scared to even breathe:

 _This little piggy went to market…  
While this little wolfy followed close…  
This little piggy liked clothing…  
While this little wolfy liked her…  
So this little wolfy wrapped her up…  
And brought…  
Her…  
Home._

A heavy 'thunk' sounded, replaced almost immediately with May's muffled screams. A second one produced silence.

…

Judy finished up her carrot muffin as she entered the interrogation room. Inside sat Robert Catmull, waiting for his second session with the detective.  
"Good morning, Mr. Catmull," the bunny greeted as she hopped onto her chair.  
"Morning," he replied in kind, appearing slightly nervous.  
"Have a good shift yesterday?" she asked, recalling her visit to the club.  
"Oh, yes, great actually," the bobcat replied with a new-found smile.  
"Good," Judy acknowledged with her own smile. "Now, Mr. Catmull, are you familiar with a certain Walter Stripes?"  
"I'm sorry, who?"  
Judy pulled out a photo of the tiger and passed it to him.  
"Walter Stripes. According to your manager, he was a frequent customer of yours."  
"Oh him. Yeah, I know him. Never told me his last name, though. Come to think of it, I haven't seen him in a while. He's usually at the bar almost every night."  
"Uh-huh…" Judy absently voiced as she made some notes.  
"Did something happen to him? Is that why you're asking?" Catmull asked with concern.  
Judy looked up from her notepad; the bobcat seemed to look terrified. She laid down her tools with a sigh before giving him the details.  
"Walter Stripes was unfortunately the victim of a murder," she told him. "And his last sighting was that of him leaving your workplace, the supposed night of his death."  
Catmull's face shifted to an expression of horror, his ears lying flat against his head.  
"I'm sorry for having to ask you this," the bunny apologized. "But I need you to tell me everything you can about Mr. Stripes' stay at the club before he left. Did anyone follow him out? Was there someone that asked about him when he left?"  
"I-I didn't see anyone. I mean… Uh… No? I don't think anyone followed him. It was a busy night, last time I saw him."  
"Okay, it's fine. He was a regular, right? Was he acting unusual that night?"  
The bobcat scratched his head as he collected his thoughts.  
"He… He kept on asking where Miss Wolfen was. He's always trying to get her to drink with him," he replied with a balled fist.  
Judy raised her eyebrow at this.  
"What's your relationship with Miss Wolfen?"  
"Huh?"  
"You and Miss Wolfen," she repeated. "Is there anything between the two of you?"  
He seemed a bit put off by the question.  
"She's… Like the mother I never had…" He meekly admitted.  
The bunny was surprised by this.  
"She's always been nice to me. She'd let me stick around in that secluded booth as a teen so I could listen to the entertainment. And she was the one who offered me the bartending job in the first place," he said with a soft smile.  
"What about your actual parents?" Judy asked, wiping Catmull's smile away.  
"My mom left when I was still a kitten, so it was just me and my dad," he told her. "It was fine; he did his best to take care of me. But I guess it didn't exactly feel all right."  
Judy scribbled some more notes as Catmull kept going.  
"One night, my dad was invited to a dinner party, but he couldn't find any sitters available. So he brought me along; that's where I first met her."  
"Miss Wolfen?" The bunny questioned.  
"Yeah. She called me 'the cutest thing' and it was like I felt whole again."  
Judy made an inaudible 'aww'.  
"Ever since, she's always invited me to her parties; well, except when I'm working," he chuckled.  
"So you hold Miss Wolfen in pretty high regard," the bunny concluded.  
"More than anything!" Catmull exclaimed. "I would consider her my own family, that's how much I care."  
"Well that's nice to hear."

Nick closed the office door with an audible groan.  
"Any leads?" Judy asked from behind some files.  
"What do you think?" The fox answered as he flopped behind his desk. "You would expect that someone at that party would be unusual. Nope. Nothing wrong. Just a bunch of normal party guests, all of them pleased by the hostess."  
"Was she really that good?"  
"From the dozen of guests that I interviewed? She's a saint. She was at the party the entire night, making sure everyone was happy."  
"I got the same impression from Catmull, too," Judy admitted.  
Nick looked over at the files on her desk.  
"What's that?"  
"IDs on our two other victims," the bunny replied as she brought them over. "Horace Oates and Nigel Slink."  
"I can't believe our guy got to both of them in one night," the fox commented as he flipped through the files. "I mean, this guy has to be something unnatural to catch a horse."  
"Nick, be serious. You don't have to be faster, you just have to last longer."  
"Says the bunny who runs five miles every morning. And we're talking about a HORSE; these guys are built to last."  
"Well maybe he was caught by surprise," Judy defended.  
"Okay, then how do you explain the weasel? Pretty hard to sneak up on them, and their fast."  
"Yeah, I know," the bunny replied in annoyance. "So what?"  
"What I'm saying, Carrots, is that we have. No. LEADS!" Nick blew as he threw the files onto his desk. "All we've been doing is walking around randomly, asking people for what little info they have, and we've still got nothing that'll help us!"  
He let his face fall onto the desk.  
"Nick, if you need a break, that's fine."  
"No, Carrots. It's not fine," the fox huffed. "And I don't need a break, either. We've been working to get this position for how long now? Four years? If I stop for a break now, I'll never forgive myself."  
Judy took a seat on his desk and stroked his fur.  
"Nick. It's o-kay. You're not the only one working on this. We're a team. And as your partner, you can rely on me to pull your weight when you need a break. Because I know you would do the same for me."  
"Judy…"  
"And that's why I married you…"

…

 _Round and round the park…  
The wolf followed the deer…_

* * *

 **AN: The feels... I shall crush them all... *Grins evilly***


	6. Part 6

**Part 6**

Jane had no idea what was happening. The last thing she remembered was taking a jog in the park; it was her day off, and she had promised herself to keep her figure. But it didn't really seem to matter at this point; she was blind, bound and gagged. It almost felt like one of her sessions with her ex, except for the god-awful smell, that's what tipped her off.  
Her bonds were tighter than she was comfortable with and she was already exhausted from her run, all she could do was hope that this was all some sick joke. That hope shrank as the sound of scraping metal reached her ears, then vanished completely as a voiced followed it:

 _Round and round the park…  
The wolf followed the deer…  
_ _One step, two step…  
Always keeping near…  
_ _  
Round and round the bushes and trees…  
The wolf grew closer still…  
One step, two step…  
The wolf, he caught his fill._

A 'thunk' rang out in the darkness and Jane whimpered in pain. With another 'thunk', her pain disappeared.

...

"You're sure this is alright, Carrots?"  
"Nick, I'm telling you, it's fine. You can take the time to make us Dinner, this way."  
"Well in that case, any special requests?"  
"You know what I love."  
"Glazed carrots with garden salad it is."  
"See you tonight, Slick."  
"Love you too."

Judy poured over the evidence in front of her for what seemed like the hundredth time. The victims' profiles, the interrogation notes, the locations, the photos; no matter how she looked at it, it all looked like a pile of random parts with no particular structure.  
The bunny looked at Mary Lambsleigh's file once more. The first victim, left for her friend to find. The murderer left a note in her mouth; it read that she broke someone's heart. Judy recalled her interrogation with Catmull. He was heartbroken when Mary declined his advances. Was the killer someone that knew him?  
His father? Jusy shook her head, it couldn't be, Catmull's father cared enough to raise him, but no more, from what she gathered.  
Miss Wolfen? The bobcat considered her like family, could he have told her about Mary? But she couldn't be the murderer, it didn't add up with the second victim.  
Judy pulled out Walter Stripes' file. Last seen exiting the club managed by Miss Wolfen, who was holding a Dinner-party that night. The guests of the party solidified her alibi; she was definitely not the murderer.  
Mr. Stripes' head was found in one of the canals by officer McHorn. Whoever the murderer was, they didn't put as much care into their treatment of the tiger as opposed to the lamb. The bunny remembered Catmull's balled fist. There was definite anger towards the tiger.  
Could it be that it was Catmull? It couldn't be. He was devestated when he first heard that Mary was killed, and mortified when she told him that Walter was a victim as well.  
The other two files on Oates and Slink provided dead-ends in and of themselves; almost as if there was no connection to the previous two murders at all. The only link was the writing on the notes, they were all written by the same paw.  
Judy needed something else, something that would blow the whole case out of the water. She knew that she could find it; she was lucky like that, ever since her first case with Nick. On a gut feeling, the bunny left her desk and headed for records.

A short while later, Judy returned to her desk with a new folder in paw. It wasn't thick, but it certainly wasn't the smallest file she'd ever had. The folder held records of parking and speeding tickets, with a lone noise complaint being the most recent one. Before the bunny could look further, her phone buzzed.  
"Hello, Wilde here."  
"Judy? It's Ben," the cheetah greeted. "You have a visitor at the front, waiting for you."  
"Thanks, I'll be right down."  
She set the file on her desk before heading out.

Waiting by the reception desk was a very nervous look bobcat.  
"Mr. Catmull?" Judy inquired as she made her way down the staircase.  
"Officer Wilde!" He exclaimed, frantic. "You've got to help me, someone's following me. I think it might be them."  
Surprised by the turn of events, she didn't hesitate for a moment.  
"You're in safe paws here, Mr. Catmull," she assured him. "You can stay the night in my office-"  
"No! I can't, I have to get back home!" He pressed. "I've got guests over for Dinner! I had to leave because I forgot about a special ingredient!"  
"Oh. I'm sorry, I had no idea," Judy apologized. "Would you like an escort then?"  
"If you wouldn't mind?"  
"It's alright. I needed to clear my head anyway."

Judy led the bobcat out towards her personal cruiser.  
"So, taking after Miss Wolfen, are we?" She prodded.  
"I guess you could say that," Catmull chuckled.  
"I think that's pretty sweet," the bunny added as she opened the passenger door for him.  
"Not as sweet as you."  
"What-"

...

 _See the bunny sleeping, 'til it's nearly noon...  
Shall I wake her with a merry tune?_

* * *

 **AN: If you know me... Then you'll know that I'm not above it...**


	7. Part 7

**Part 7**

As the figure finished cleaning up his work, his attention went to the unconscious bunny. Tied to a lone chair sat Officer Judy Wilde, sound asleep. Seeing her sweet innocent face, he couldn't help but chant a little rhyme:

 _See the bunny sleeping, 'til it's nearly noon…  
Shall I wake her with a merry tune?  
She's so still…  
Is she ill?  
Wake up, little bunny!_

Judy stirred in her seat. Shaking the sleep from her eyes, she found herself in a darkly lit basement and tied down to a chair. Before her stood a tall figure, shadowed by the light behind them.  
"Morning Judy," he greeted in a familiar voice. "I hope you don't mind being the guest of honour."  
The figure stepped back, and as the light shone down, Judy was met with Robert Catmull.

…

Nick stomped into the lobby with a carrot muffin in paw, grumpiness plastered all over his face. If it weren't for the deal he made, he would've said that Judy didn't even deserve to have the muffin.  
"Hey Nick, why the long face?" Clawhauser intercepted him before he reached the stairs.  
"Did Judy pull an all-nighter again?" The fox asked with a hint of annoyance. "Because she never got home last night."  
"That's weird," the cheetah replied in confusion. "I saw her leave with a visitor last night. He requested an escort."  
Nick's face went blank. He rushed towards their office, finding files and notes still strewn across the bunny's desk, but no Judy to be found. Taking a few breaths to calm down, he noticed a new file on top of everything else; a records file for Robert Catmull.

…

"You?"  
"Me."  
Judy stared in disbelief at the bobcat, dressed in a blood-soaked apron with rubber gloves and boots. He was the murderer?  
"But… You cried over Mary's death!" She exclaimed, meriting a smile from her captor.  
"When you've cried as much as I did, you get good at faking it," he smugly answered.  
"But why?!"  
"Simple really, I told Miss Wolfen what happened and she told me what to do."  
"She told you to kill Mary?!" The bunny stared in horror.  
"Really now, Judy? No. She told me to confront her and use what nature gave to me, show her what I really am. So I did. I showed her that I was a Predator, and that I'd take my Prey like I should."  
"You're sick!"  
Catmull shrugged.  
"It's only natural Judy."  
He walked over to her chair, causing the bunny to shrink as much as she could. He grabbed the back rung and dragged her across the room.  
"I know that you've been finding my notes," the bobcat told her. "But did you ever stop to ask where the rest of my guests were?"  
He placed her in front of a standing freezer, causing a chill to creep up her spine. He opened the door and took out a package, then placed it on her lap. Slowly, Judy looked down to find the familiar pawwriting that was on every note. On the brown paper that had been wrapped around the mystery lump, was written clear as day:

 _Lamb, Left Shank_

Mortified, she looked at the other packages in the freezer. All of them were given a brief description of their contents; all of them were raw pieces of meat from Catmull's victim's. The bobcat took the piece he had displayed to Judy and set it on a nearby table.  
"I was meaning to let it thaw anyway," he quickly explained as he closed the freezer. "So Judy, what do you think of my work?"  
"You're eating them!" She exclaimed, choking back on the bile in her mouth.  
"Very astute observation Detective," Catmull mockingly acknowledged. "Now of course, you must know what that means for you?"  
Judy's eyes went wide at the implication. But before she could make any comment, he had a cloth over her mouth and the room started to spin.  
"I just need to make a few preparations…"

…

Nick studied the new set of files that he had found. There had to be a reason why Judy went to records to get this, though in the back of his mind he had a feeling that she had no idea either. Among the many tickets and fines that were in Catmull's file, the fox was immediately attracted to the noise complaint which felt quite out of place. Considering the notes his partner had made on her interrogations with him, the bobcat didn't seem like a rowdy mammal.  
After a moment, it clicked. The date of the complaint was the exact same as the presumed time of death of the first victim, Mary Lambsleigh. He quickly surveyed the complaint at this realization. According to the report, Catmull's neighbour heard a loud shriek in the middle of the night coming from his house. Startled by the harsh wake-up call, she immediately called the police to complain. Catmull had swayed officers away by saying that he was up late watching a horror film and they left him with a copy of the fine on file.  
Nick didn't waste a moment longer; he had all he needed to close this case. He rushed out of the precinct and commandeered an unused cruiser, the personal one he and Judy used being absent from the parking lot.

…

Judy woke up strapped to a table, the overhead light blinding her. Nearby she could hear the sound of metal scraping against metal. Against her better judgement, the bunny looked towards the sound to find Catmull sharpening an axe with a whetstone. He smiled at her as she stared in terror.  
"Glad to see you're awake," the bobcat admitted as he walked over to her side. "I always prefer working on a conscious target."  
Judy didn't listen; she just stared at the sharp blade.  
"Judy, please, talk to me," he begged. "I haven't left my prey a chance to talk since my slip-up with the cops, but this time I know that nobody is around to hear you. So please, speak your mind."  
The bunny glared at him, balling her fists in rage.  
"You are sick."  
Catmull chuckled.  
"Yes. Maybe I am. But I am who I am."  
He walked around the table as he toyed with his axe.  
"Have you ever considered yourself to be lucky, Judy?" He asked.  
She didn't answer.  
"I once heard that rabbit paws were once used as good luck charms. Do you think that would still hold true?"  
He paused at her left side.  
"You have four paws, Judy. Do you really need all that luck?"  
He rested the blade against her forearm.  
"I hope you won't mind if I 'borrow' one."  
He raised the axe up.  
"Don't worry. This'll only hurt… A lot."  
Catmull swung the axe down. Judy shrieked at the top of her lungs.

* * *

 **AN: Good thing she's right-pawed...**


	8. Part 8

**Part 8**

Nick pulled up to Catmull's address, and felt his heart stop for a moment as he saw their cruiser parked out front. No doubt Judy was here, but was she okay? He walked up to the front door and knocked.  
No response.  
He knocked again.  
Still nothing.  
He was about to head to the back door when he heard a scream coming from inside.  
Probable Cause. He unholstered his gun and shot at the lock.

Catmull paused at the sound of gunshots, and turned to look towards the staircase.  
"ZPD!" Judy heard her partner shout.  
Mustering the pain away, she took in a deep breath and shouted back:  
"NICK!"  
The bobcat looked back, rage in his eyes.  
"NO!" He shouted as he raised his axe.

Nick scrambled down the stairs to where he heard Judy, and narrowly dodged an incoming axe head.  
"This is my prey!" Catmull exclaimed as he swung at the fox once more. "She's mine!"  
Nick backed away from the psychotic cat while eyeing the room. He saw Judy on the table, and more blood than there should be. He had to act quick.  
"She's not yours," the fox taunted. "She never was and she never will be!"  
Another swing of the axe.  
"Fuck you, Fox! Just because you work with her doesn't mean she's yours!"  
"No. It doesn't. But you know what does?"  
Another swing.  
"WHAT?"  
The fox raised his paw, and showed the ring on his finger. He then lowered them all, except the middle. Catmull seethed at the gesture and swung the axe with all the rage he had.  
Nick ducked the premeditated attack and punched the assailant swiftly in the gut, Catmull dropping his axe. The fox followed up with an uppercut to the jaw, wincing at the impact, but knocking the cat down.

Still high on adrenaline, Nick immediately called for paramedics and went to tend Judy's aggravating wound. She looked incredibly pale under her fur, if she lost any more blood, he knew that he would lose her.  
"Judy! Stay with me! You got that?! Stay awake!" He said as he undid her restraints.  
"Nick…" She breathed.  
"Yes. I'm here. Don't worry, I called the hospital. You'll be fine." He told her, franticly trying to stop the blood from flowing out.  
"Be… Hind… You…"  
Nick felt a set of paws around his neck, and immediately felt panic settle in.  
"I don't usually dirty my paws like this," Catmull told him. "But you made this personal."  
His grip tightened and Nick could feel his throat start to compress, his breathing all but stopped at this point. He pawed for his gun; his vision starting to fade at the edges. Again the cat squeezed, Nick was losing oxygen. He felt the gun in his paw, he pulled it out; his vision now only a small circle in front of him. The fox raised the gun to where he thought was his attacker, and fired.

The paws around Nick's throat went slack. The fox crumpled forward under Catmull's weight and his lack of oxygen. He gasped for air for but a moment, before pulling himself back up to Judy's side. Her eyes were closed. He leaned over her chest to hear for her heart.  
He heard nothing.

* * *

 **AN: Nick may be one badass fox, but he's got a ways to go to match Catmull's bodycount...  
**


	9. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

 _One month later_

Nick walked along the quiet hallway, muffin in paw. He hated these muffins with a passion now, but he still got them for her. It reminded him not only of that stupid deal they made, but also about what she had said to him; a constant reminder that she was almost right in her statement.

Judy was sitting up in her hospital bed, IVs and monitors hooked up everywhere, practicing her writing for the umpteenth time. She didn't have to, her dominant paw was her right, but the doctors in charge of rehabilitation said that writing was a near perfect exercise for her case.  
A knock on the door brought her attention to a visitor; a suave looking fox, sporting a snarky grin and bearing a carrot muffin for her.  
"Morning Carrots," Nick greeted as he made his way by her side. "How're we feeling?"  
Judy looked down at her left paw. Her fur was starting to grow back around the stitches the doctors had placed.  
"Still feeling like Frankenswine's Monster," she jokingly replied.  
The fox chuckled at the statement; he had come up with the joke as soon as her paw had been reattached in surgery, and had only got to tell it to her once she had recovered enough for visits a week later.  
"And how's my suicidal fox doing," she playfully asked as she stroked the newly healed hole in his ear.  
"Better, though still a bit hard of hearing in this one," Nick admitted as he gestured to the puncture.  
His killing blow to Catmull was a little too close for comfort and had blown his ear drum while piercing a clean hole through the flesh. He was initially mortified that he couldn't hear Judy's heart that night, but then he felt it. Barely there, but there. He had waited at her side until the paramedics came, and stayed with her until she was ushered into the ER.

Judy fumbled slightly with the muffin as she took a bite. She had to be careful; she still had some loss of feeling in her paw, despite the nerves having been sewn back together.  
"Why don't I help you with that?" her partner said as he took the rest of the muffin away.  
He pulled apart a sizeable piece and held it near her mouth.  
"Say 'ah'."  
She looked at the piece in his claws, then at his emerald eyes.  
"I think I'm ready for dessert instead."

* * *

 **AN: I may be evil, but I'm not heartless. Happy Halloween.  
**


End file.
